Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

The perfect Halloween meal.

Martha Stewart is great about creating festive meals for Halloween and other holidays, but I have yet to see this unmistakable ghost-shaped pasta featured in any spooky dishes. I found a wonderful pumpkin pasta sauce last year after I discovered how healthy and nutritious pumpkin is for us, especially canned pumpkin . . . regardless of how much my husband insists we can simply eat pumpkin pie to fulfill our vitamin needs. Canned pumpkin is just short of the nutrients of raw spinach and beats out raved vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and mustard greens.

Canned pumpkin is without a doubt the easiest way to get your pumpkin pure. You can get pumpkin at it's peak ripeness

and even organic pumpkin pure is reasonably priced. Be sure to check the ingredients carefully - do not get pumpkin pie filling, which includes spices. The ingredients should only include pumpkin and perhaps salt or other preservative.

Recently, I was craving pumpkin before the season was ready. Having mid-90 degree temperatures on the first day of fall will do that to you. So I had to buy a sugar pumpkin and make my own. If you also find yourself in this predicament, here is how to pure a whole pumpkin: stab pumpkin and microwave for five minutes or until soft. The pumpkin will "whistle" because it is letting our moisture but don't be alarmed. Once cool, cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, rub with olive oil a

nd sprinkle with salt (be sparing). Place face down on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, turning half way through. Time will vary depending on size and weight of pumpkin. Scrape pumpkin squash out and mash using a potato masher or food processor. This also works well with all fall squashes to make pure for soups or pasta bakes.

Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

12 ounces perline pasta, cheese or mushroom flavored

1/2 bag baby spinach, stemmed (optional)

1 quart baby bellow mushrooms (optional)

Coarse salt

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, ground

1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree OR one sugar pumpkin

5 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup half-and-half OR soy milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

I normally take a recipe and add tons of fresh and nutritious vegetables to get a heartier meal. but what I've found with pumpkin is that it doesn't go with everything, so less is more in this case. Some options are to add spinach and mushrooms, but allow for the pumpkin to be the masking taste of the meal. Using stuffed pasta also adds depth but simple cheese flavors do not compete with the fall aroma of pumpkin.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta, cover and set aside.

In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. A

dd garlic and mushrooms, if using, and stir until brown and soft. Add pumpkin puree, half-and-half (or soy milk), Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. If using, stir in spinach until wilted. Assuming you don't have to make your own pumpkin pure, this is a fairly fast meal.

Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. I also added a little more soy milk

since I had not saved enough pasta water. Season with salt or garlic salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with grated Parmesan and red-pepper flakes. Enjoy your ghostly treat and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Sweet Potatoes

Guess what Atkins, sweet potatoes are good for us! Sweet potatoes, with skin, score a 485 on the healthiest vegetable list, scoring higher than broccoli and carrots. And the diet-preferred white cousin scores only a 53, just above parsnips and corn. Our problem is that most sweet potatoes are served with fattening and carb-loaded butter and brown sugar. But "sweet" potatoes don't actually have to be served sweet. Like it's orange-color lookalike - pumpkin - sweet potato can be use in a variety of recipes.

Here are a few sweet potato recipes for the fall season that give you the stellar nutrients of the root vegetable without creating a dessert for a main course.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

My NCSU vegetarian foodie has a great vegetarian blog as well and her latest post are these delightful sweet potato quesadillas. I am not going to reprint the recipe since you should venture to her site anyway. I will say these were a delicious surprise to me. My husband loves sweet potatoes and encouraged me to try this recipe even though I was somewhat skeptical.

I added some CSA sweet peppers and used yellow onion, which seemed to pair nicely with the potato. I didn't push the spices too much since sweet potato was a very different take on Mexican. I used whole wheat tortillas, which held up well, and a low-fat Mexican cheese blend. I added a bit of water and covered the pan to steam the potato.

It is best served with guacamole and salsa. I haven't tried it with sour cream or Greek yogurt, but I imagine it is just as tasty. And they are very filling! We each had one and a half quesadillas and it was more than enough to satisfy us.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Fall Lasagna

I know, how many lasagna recipes do I have already??? This is a Cooking Light recipe that I made using leftover sweet potatoes and butternut squash. This is also convenient for all the fall squash and potatoes I am getting with my CSA. This dish is slightly sweet but still savory and very tasty.

2 lb. butternut squash

1 lb. sweet potatoes

1 onion, chopped

3.5 cups 1% milk (do not substitute soy milk)

pinch nutmeg

pinch cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup flour

salt and pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

no-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup low-fat mozzarella, shredded

Conveniently, there is precut butternut squash and sweet potato sold at Trader Joes, but this recipe is good because it only requires what you would have leftover from another fall menu. I prefer to shred the sweet potato using a food processor - you can keep the skins on as long as they are well washed. I also bake my butternut squash (400 degrees for 45 minutes) and scoop out the pure. This avoids peeling and chopping hard squash and potatoes.

Let no-boil noodles sit in warm water while you prepare lasagna. Sauté onion in olive oil until caramelized. Gradually add shredded sweet potato and cover pan. Repeat until all sweet potato is sautéed and caramelized. Add sweet potato to butternut pure.

Add one tbsp olive oil to a medium pot. Heat to medium and add flour. Whisk flour with oil and gradually add milk. Milk mixture should thicken as you whisk. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf to milk. Continue to heat for 10-15 minutes, whisking occasionally; mixture should simmer but never boil. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and stir in parm cheese.

I have a new appreciation for freshly-grated Parmesan. A block of parm is cheaper and lasts longer than pre-grated parm. The cheese is also more savory and melts faster.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spoon 1/2 cup cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagna pan. Layer no-boil noodles. Top with half squash/potato mixture, 1/3 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheese sauce and noodles. Repeat. Top noodles with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

Side Salads

Alright, fess up, how many vegetables do you actually eat a day? You are supposed to get from 6-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. A serving is roughly the size of your fist. I will absolutely admit it. As much as I feel I try to add multiple vegetables to every meal, even breakfast, I still need vitamins to supplement my lack.

One easy solution is side salads and appetizers to help fill you up before you overeat a rich meal. I love salads, LOVE them, and they are primarily made up of mostly fruits and vegetables. The problem? Everyone else's salad tastes better. I love to eat salads when I go out to eat, but making them at home is not the same. Maybe it's the dressing?

Here are a few side salad recipes I have found to be quite rewarding and easy to make. I mostly enjoy salads with baby spinach and romaine, but I have recently found that I like endive and a wide variety of romaine lettuces. Use what you like. Iceberg lettuce is useful for some recipes, but it does not score very high in nutrition for a vegetable. Stick to greens that are, well, green!

Tomato and "Mozzarella" salad

fresh basil leaves, Julianne cut

2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

sliced cheese e.g. white American, provolone or other low-fat white cheese

hearts of romaine, finely chopped (optional)

balsamic vinaigrette, low-fat (not fat free)

Half the cheese slices into triangles. I have also seen a version using goat cheese slices but my favorite is white American. Trader Joes actually sells mozzarella slices made with goat's milk. It's actually delicious. Do not use fresh mozzarella if you want to avoid expensive and fatty cheeses.

Heirloom tomatoes make this dish because of their beautiful color and few seeds. Layer tomato slices and cheese triangles, alternately, over a bed of finely chopped hearts of romaine. I normally just serve the tomato and cheese slices, but I tried a version over lettuce, and it was very satisfying. Top layers with basil and vinaigrette. Fat free dressings are made with water and very dissatisfying. Low fat varieties still offers some heart-healthy olive oil and filling fats while still cutting calories.

Mediterranean salad

romaine lettuce, chopped

cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pita picket, torn into tiny pieces

feta cheese crumbles, flavored or plain

chickapeas (optional)

Mediterranean dressing e.g. balsamic vinaigrette or black olive with feta

On a medium cooking sheet, layer pieces of pita. Spray with oil and bake on 400 for 5 minutes or until crisp. These light "crutons" give this side salad a little crunch. I like to use the mini pita pockets sold at TJs because the pita is thinner. The black olive with feta dressing is offered by Kraft, and it is one of my absolute favorites. Be sparing, but a little goes a long way on taste.

Baked goat cheese salad

12 oz. goat cheese e.g. plain, lemon citrus, or herbed

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs or Panko

dried fruit e.g. cranberries, currants or raisins

spring greens or baby spinach (stemmed)

sliced almonds

sweet vinaigrette e.g. pomegranate, poppyseed, raspberry (full fat)

The first time I tried this recipe I accidentally bought a citrus-flavored goat cheese log, but it is by far my favorite version. I would not use a peppercorn variety on this dish though. Make sure cheese is cold and cut log into half-inch rounds. Drench rounds in egg and bread crumbs and layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray rounds with oil and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Layer greens with dried fruit (I prefer cran-raisins) and almonds. Top each salad with two or three cheese rounds and serve with a side of dressing. I do not recommend low-fat sweet dressings because of the artificial sugars and colors. Buy organic to avoid artificial ingredients. Or dress your salad with simple olive oil and vinegar.

Savory Manicotti

Since my last low-fat Italian disaster with the vegetarian lasagna, I was skeptical about posting another pasta dish. However, this recipe is fool-proof for tasting good.

This recipe came from a combination of Martha Stewart and William Sonoma, although I cannot find where I got either recipe. I swapped a few hearty ingredients and added roasted pine nuts to give this lighter dish a savory flavor that stands up to any meaty competition.

The only disappointing part of this meal is that its not very plentiful. This recipe makes enough servings for maybe three people and more likely two hungry people. So I do not recommend this recipe for serving company.

Savory Manicotti

1 package manicotti, cooked and cooled (in luke warm water)

1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese - as always, I recommend TJs but Sorrento's low-fat is a close second choice

1 egg, beaten

dried thyme

dried oregano

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

minced garlic

1 pint baby bello mushrooms

3 cups favorite tomato sauce

9 oz. baby spinach

3 tbsp. pine nuts

I've never found whole wheat manicotti pasta, but after my lasagna disaster I am going with the safe white flour pasta. Be sure to handle with care when transporting from the grocery store to home - manicotti pasta breaks easily and it's unusable after that. Also be sure to not over boil. Over boiling pasta will cause it to crack and tear and make stuffing manicotti much more difficult than it already is. Let noodles cool in luke-warm water until filling is prepared.

Sauté minced garlic (about a tablespoon or less) in olive oil. Once garlic browns, add mushrooms until softened. Stir in pine nuts. Once nuts have browned slightly and they have a strong aroma, add spinach and stir until spinach wilts. Remove vegetables from heat.

Preheat oven for 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, oregano and thyme. You can substitute Italian seasoning. Stir in 1 tsp salt and pepper. Once vegetables have cooled slightly, stir vegetables into cheese mix. If the cheese is not cool enough, the mixture will melt the plastic bag. Using a rubber spatula, spoon mixture into a one gallon ziplock bag. Cut a small triangle from the bottom of one corner to use as a filler for the manicotti.

Spoon about one cup of pasta sauce into the base of a large baking dish. Cupping the manicotti to ensure the bottom is covered, squeeze the cheese mixture into the open end of the manicotti pasta. Do not overfill or the manicotti will break, or worse, leak cheese all over the place. Layer the manicotti together in the baking dish. Top prepared manicotti with remaining pasta sauce and parm cheese.

Bake manicotti for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. This recipe uses about 1/3 the amount of cheese normally called for in manicotti. I've also adjusted the recipe to bring more vegetables and hearty fillings. I high recommend a side salad since this is such a light meal. The pine nuts make the true difference in taste. If you are short on pine nuts, roast walnut pieces.

Vegetarian Tortilla Pie

Any of you who know me personally know that my weakness is Mexican food. Something about tortillas, cheese and beans that I can't get enough. But it is rough on my cholesterol and waistline. One option I have been able to use is vegetarian tortilla pie. This recipe is an Amy original. It calls for a ton of vegetables, high protein beans and light on cheese (so sad). It doesn't go very far though and usually only makes 2-4 servings. It is perfect for kicking a Mexican food craving though.

When you go to a Mexican food restaurant and order "refried beans" you are usually getting a lot of lard-fried beans. They taste so good, but honestly making beans at home is the best way to get the good nutrition without the unnecessary fats. Pinto beans are actually one of the MOST nutritious beans you can eat, just behind soybeans, with their fiber, folic acid and iron content. Black beans are also high in fiber and folic acid. Beans are also one of the healthiest foods for you that you can get for cheap. Canned beans run about $1 per can and have a lasting shelf life. I stock up any time they are on sale. If you can, buy organic or preferably low-sodium. You should rinse and drain your beans to ensure all preservatives and added salt are washed away.

Lastly, beans are great for vegetarians because they provide high levels of protein with no dependence on meat. Beware my friendly vegetarians, tofu is not as potent with protein levels as beans and also fails to provide adequate levels of fiber for a daily diet. Tofu and other processed soy products lose a lot of nutrition of natural soy beans because of the heavy processing it undergoes. For more about the awesome-ness of beans, catch Cooking Light's September 2010 issue.

Vegetarian Tortilla Pie

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

small can corn, rinsed and drained

bag baby spinach

1 cup salsa

6-9 corn tortillas

1/2 medium onion, red or white

1 jalapeño, chopped

fresh cilantro

8 oz pepper jack or Mexican blend cheeses, shredded

1.5 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Saute onion and pepper in minced garlic, cumin and red pepper. Once pepper and onion are soft, add beans. Add 1/4 cup water to beans and cook until beans start to break. Slightly mash beans to speed up the process. The mixture should be "refried" with some whole beans still in tact.

Stir in corn and spinach leaves. Stir until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in salsa. Trader Joes has a fantastic Double Roasted salsa that goes with about any dish I prepare. I highly recommend this salsa for cooking because it is flavorful and chunky. If you are using salsa with a lot of cilantro, than adding fresh cilantro is unnecessary. Otherwise, add cilantro now.

Oil a 1 quart round casserole dish (small and tall if you have one). Layer two tortillas on the bottom of the dish, trying to cover as much space as possible. Top tortillas with half bean mixture and 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat once more. Top cheese with two more tortillas and remaining cheese.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Heat oven to broil for a few minutes to brown top cheese. Cut into fourths and serve with more salsa and sour cream.

Deviled Eggs

Worried about eggs going bad? A healthy snack and simple deviled egg recipe will do the trick. I make these using only what I have in my refrigerator door. I try not to eat more than two eggs a day so it's ideal for taking out the last of the eggs before the expiration date.

My husband is stubborn about eating hardboiled eggs, but they are incredibly healthy for you, despite anti-cholesterol posters, and simple to make low-fat. Eggs are great for the eyes and may reduce the risk of cataracts due to their carotenoid content. One egg contains six grams of protein and only 1.5 grams saturated fat. Eggs are also naturally rich in Vitamin D and sulpher, which promotes healthy hair and nails. Be sure to buy organic or free-range chicken eggs.

Deviled Eggs

4 eggs (2 to share)

2 tbsp low-fat, olive oil mayonnaise e.g. Smart Balance or Kraft

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)

hot sauce, to taste

garlic salt and pepper

2 tsp dill relish

1 scallion or 1/2 tsp onion powder

paprika or crushed red pepper

Set eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Heat pot until water boils, turn off heat (do not remove from stove) and cover. Let stand 13 minutes. This is a fool-proof method for perfect eggs. It seems unpredictable, but it works.

Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and slice in half long ways. Using a small spoon, scoop out egg yoke (it should come out easily if the eggs are cooked correctly) and add to a medium bowl. Add mayo, mustard, and relish. If you are using Tabasco sauce, you do not need to add anymore vinegar - the eggs will taste too bitter. If you are using a less vinegary hot sauce, such as Louisiana, add the white wine vinegar. I still prefer Nandos, but it's only available in Africa in care packages from my sister.

I think scallion tastes great in eggs, but this is supposed to be a cabinet stables kind of recipe so substitute a little bit of onion powder instead. Season with garlic salt and pepper. You may want to add more hot sauce or relish depending on how you want your eggs to taste. Be sparing when adding mayo and mustard since you won't be able to lessen those portions.

Use a small fork to reload deviled eggs with filling. They will be full. The fork makes a nice indention in the egg, although the icing bag is ideal. Unfortunately I don't have one. Top your eggs with paprika or crushed red pepper - for a bigger kick.

Sasquash Sandwich

I was sad to learn recently that the Bear Rock Cafe had closed down near my office. I also saw that their website is "under construction". I hope they resurface soon because they have a great selection of breads and vegetarian options.

I was first introduced to the Sasquash sandwich at Bear Rock. I liked it so much I wanted to make it at home, with a few alterations. I buy the pumpkin seed bread at Panera Bread. They will pre-slice your loaf but be sure to store it properly to keep from molding prematurely. I also found a similar-tasting Vidalia dressing with Ken's. It is offered in low-fat, which is actually just as good and significant fat-reduction. The original sandwich comes with sprouts and eggplant, but as you can tell from the Ultimate Vegetable list, they don't count for much, so I leave them off since I don't care for them much.

Sasquash Sandwich

sunflower-seed bread, sliced

vidalia onion dressing

fresh rosemary, crushed

garlic, minced

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 pint mushrooms, preferably baby bellows

eggplant, sliced (optional)

sprouts (optional)

romaine lettuce

tomato, sliced

provolone or Havarti cheese, low-fat

Crushing rosemary is not that simple. I used to use a butcher knife but the roasmary would shoot all over the place. I finally invested in a tiny mortar and pestle. It was fairly cheap and makes crushing herbs the only means available. Rosemary is a strong herb so use sparingly. I use about one teaspoon.

Saute garlic in 1 tsp oil. Add sliced zucchini and squash and mushrooms. If using eggplant, add here. Sauté vegetables until slightly browned but not wilted.

Spread dressing on two slices of bread. Top one side with cheese and toast in a toaster oven or convention oven (at 400 degrees) until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasted. Spread sautéed vegetables on cheese side - the cheese keeps the vegetables in tact - and top with lettuce, tomato and sprouts (if using).

The taste-maker in this recipe is the dressing. Do not short-change this meal without it.